9.23C - Environmental problems caused by polymers
Explain the resource and disposal problems associated with polymers: finite feedstocks, persistent landfill waste, combustion gases and sorting before remelting.
Resources and persistent waste
Many common synthetic polymers use feedstocks (chemical starting materials) obtained from crude oil or natural gas. These resources are finite: they are used much faster than they are replaced. Competing uses such as fuels can also affect their availability and cost. This does not mean every polymer uses the same starting material.
Durability is useful during a product's life but can become a disposal problem. Many polymers are non-biodegradable: microorganisms do not readily break them down. They can remain in landfill for a long time, occupying space. Slow fragmentation into smaller pieces is not the same as biodegradation.
Combustion products depend on the polymer and oxygen
Burning waste can reduce its volume and release useful energy, but the gases produced need to be considered.
| Polymer or condition | Possible gas | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| complete combustion of a carbon-and-hydrogen polymer such as poly(ethene) | carbon dioxide (along with water) | carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas |
| incomplete combustion with limited oxygen | carbon monoxide | toxic; reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity |
| burning or heating a chlorine-containing polymer such as PVC | hydrogen chloride | acidic in water, corrosive and harmful |
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